Law and Religion Headlines
Friday, 26 September 2025
Faith leaders unite in Nairobi to end FGM and child marriage across Eastern and Southern Africa
(UNICEF)
Wednesday, 24 September 2025
Standing up for everyone, standing by the vulnerable: An interview with Brett Scharffs and Elizabeth Clark
(Talk About: Law and Religion - Blog of the International Center for Law and Religion Studies)
Christians in Bangladesh fear rise of Islamist groups
(Stephen Uttom Rozario, Crux: Taking the Catholic Pulse)
Faith in Action Community: Turning Shared Values into Collective Impact (World Economic Forum)
(Religious Freedom & Business Foundation)
Top Indian court mulls if Christian marriage nullifies caste benefits
(Union of Catholic Asian News)
Significance of the Strasbourg human rights case law beyond Europe – The impact of the ECHR jurisprudence on Asian Apex Courts
(Akiko Ejima, Strasbourg Observers)
Philippine churches demand accountability amid widespread corruption
(World Council of Churches)
Church leaders, groups urge Filipinos to join September 21 rallies
(Ronald O. Reyes, Sun Star)
HRC60: Oral statement during ID on High Commissioner's report on human rights in the DPRK
(CSW: Everyone Free to Believe)
Monday, 22 September 2025
What the Qur'an really says about Jews, Judaism and the Bible
(YouTube Video, Woolf Institute)
Lima mayor ousted from front-row seat at papal audience
(Elise Ann Allen, Crux: Taking the Catholic Pulse)
Algeria’s tense dance between heritage and religious freedom
(Joseph Hammond, Religion Unplugged)
Belarusian hierarch of Moscow Patriarchate claims 'global elite' aims to destroy Ukrainian Orthodox Church
(Religious Information Service of Ukraine (RISU))
French ex-mayor sentenced for anti-Muslim incitement in Réunion
(ABNA)
Freedom of communal prayer in the primary sources of Islamic law and under the Taliban-ruled Afghanistan
(Lutforahman Saeed, Canopy Forum on the Interactions of Law & Religion)
Nicaraguan bishop denounces ‘real problem’ of region’s dictatorships and cartels
(Walter Sánchez Silva, Catholic News Agency)
The Jewish-Muslim Fraternity Project
(G20 Interfaith Forum Blog)
Al-Aqsa preacher Skeikh Sarandah barred by Israel police from entering mosque after his brief arrest
(Middle East Monitor)
UN chief sounds alarm over worsening crisis in Sudan’s El Fasher
(United Nations)
Thailand urged to drop charges against conscientious objector
(Alex Kwok, Jurist)
Religiocide in Korea: The attempted assassination of a faith
(Massimo Introvigne, Bitter Winter)
Leadership crisis roils St. Catherine’s Monastery amid Egyptian court dispute
(Paul Marshall, Religious Freedom Institute)
Becket to Supreme Court: Redefining sex threatens religious freedom
(Becket)
Quebec’s war on religion
(Linda Besner, Maclean's)
Uzbekistan’s administrative penalties for peaceful religious activity
(U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom)
Stop abusing religion for personal gain, Indonesian minister says
(Union of Catholic Asian News)
Articles of interest - 22 September 2025
(Howard Friedman, Religion Clause)
Friday, 19 September 2025
Pakistan country update
(U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom)
Why faiths must lead on climate
(Jennie Rosenn, Fletcher Harper, Saffet Catovic, Religion News Service)
China tightens digital grip on clergy with sweeping new rules
(Clemente Lisi, Religion Unplugged)
Manila archbishop appeals for peace as Church backs anti-corruption protests
(Joseph San Mateo, Crux: Taking the Catholic Pulse)
Canada introduces legislation to combat hate crimes, intimidation, and obstruction
(Government of Canada)
Wednesday, 17 September 2025
Kazakhstan country update
(U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom)
Is Islamic terrorism making a comeback in Bangladesh?
(Sonia Sarkar, Religion Unplugged)
Report: 100 Churches attacked monthly by jihadists in Nigeria
(Ngala Killian Chimtom, Crux: Taking the Catholic Pulse)
Kazakhstan voices opposition to Patriarch Kirill's visit
(Religious Information Service of Ukraine (RISU))
UN experts warn China over interference in Dalai Lama succession, demand answers on missing Panchen Lama
(Central Tibetan Administration)
Beijing sets online rules for clergy: no sermons, no rituals, no educational activities
(Asia News)
Nepalese Church backs interim govt, calls for peace, stability
(Union of Catholic Asian News)
Can legislation stop hatred?
(Australian Broadcasting Corporation)
Thai Buddhist leader advocates for peace and meditation at global interfaith summit
(The Nation)
Sikh leaders urge India to lift ban on pilgrims traveling to Pakistan shrine
(Munir Ahmed, Associated Press)
Monday, 15 September 2025
Are Christians disappearing across the Middle East?
(Lela Gilbert, Religion Unplugged)
General Assembly endorses New York Declaration on two-State solution between Israel and Palestine
(United Nations)
Youth address by the Junior Mayor of Cape Town | IF20 South Africa
(Michael-Daniel Bam, G20 Interfaith Forum Blog)
India's Goa state plans memorial for Portuguese destroyed temples
(Union of Catholic Asian News)
Muslim bodies welcome SC stay on key provisions of Waqf law, expect 'complete justice' going ahead
(Devdiscourse)
India’s ‘freedom of religion’ laws have nothing to do with preventing forced conversions
(Ellis Heasley, FoRB in Full: A blog by CSW)
China: Religious persecution and issues – Bimonthly Digest September 01-15
(Human Rights Without Frontiers International)
Zion Church in Shuangliao City, Jilin, China is banned
(China Aid)
Praying Rooms established at Cambodia’s two international airports to serve Muslim tourists
(Khmer Times)
Faith-based groups help on long road of earthquake recovery in Afghanistan
(World Council of Churches)
Niger State mandates sermon approval for religious preachers
(News Ghana)
Hong Kong lawmakers veto bill on same-sex partnerships
(Jessie Pang and Joyce Zhou, Reuters)
Articles of interest - 15 September 2025
(Howard Friedman, Religion Clause)
Friday, 12 September 2025
Carney government introducing bill to protect people entering religious, cultural buildings
(Ashley Burke, CBC News)
Canada: 290+ lawyers and law students urge government to preserve the integrity of the charitable sector
(Christian Legal Fellowship)
Kazakhstan: Kentau Police use torture, murder threats
(Felix Corley, Forum 18 News Service)
Are Christians the most persecuted religious group worldwide?
(Miray Philips, Canopy Forum on the Interactions of Law & Religion)
South African ministries helping women leave prostitution behind
(Vicky Abraham, Religion Unplugged)
Islamophobic incidents in Australia ‘skyrocketed’ since Israel’s Gaza war
(Al Jazeera)
Christchurch's Muslim community has high rates of mental health conditions, study finds
(Tess Brunton, Radio New Zealand)
Churches express concern over escalating violence in Nepal
(World Council of Churches)
India hardliners give Nepal protests baseless religious twist
(France 24)
Tensions with ultra-Orthodox are second most divisive conflict in Israeli society, poll finds
(The Jerusalem Post)
IAB member presents research at USP seminar on religious institutions and labor law (Portuguese)
(Instituto dos Advogados Brasileiros)
Wednesday, 10 September 2025
The hymns still rise in Rwanda, but they do so quietly now
(AJ Johnson, Christianity Today)
Despite efforts to promote religious tolerance and reduce terrorism, Indonesia’s laws limit religious freedom
(U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom)
Archbishop Thabo Makgoba calls for ethical leadership and Ubuntu-driven action
(Marianna Richardson, G20 Interfaith Forum Blog)
Nudity in devotion is not obscenity, Nepal Supreme Court rules
(Kathmandu Post)
Vatican official tells Bangladesh to uphold rule of law, equality
(Union of Catholic Asian News)
Dialogue of Declarations Forum in Uzbekistan: path to interfaith peace and religious relief
(Trend News Agency)
Eritrea’s cruel imprisonment of two sisters over the age of 80 reaches one-year mark
(Jehovah's Witnesses)
Preventing mass atrocities targeting religious communities
(U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom)
Korean Catholics expand outreach to tackle record suicide rates
(Union of Catholic Asian News)
‘Freedom of religion not freedom to force poor to convert’: Rajasthan Assembly passes anti-conversion Bill
(Hamza Khan, The Indian Express)
Young peace activists gather at Christian Conference of Asia to prepare as ambassadors of peace
(World Council of Churches)
Figeľ: “The Unification Church case highlights the threat to religious freedom in Japan”
(Bitter Winter)
Monday, 8 September 2025
Russia: Protestant pastor jailed for 2022 anti-war sermon
(Victoria Arnold, Forum 18 News Service)
Pakistan’s persecution of Ahmadis: A human rights crisis with geopolitical costs
(Shashwat Gupta Ray, Eurasia Review)
Muslim law in Israel
(Pablo Lerner, Talk About: Law and Religion - Blog of the International Center for Law and Religion Studies)
Holy See warns of risk of new nuclear weapons, deplores increase in military spending
(Victoria Cardiel, Catholic News Agency)
India offers relief to persecuted minorities in its neighborhood
(Union of Catholic Asian News)
Quebec prayer ban would render freedom of religion meaningless
(André Pratte, National)
Coca leaves remain a source of work, faith and identity in Bolivia
(María Teresa Hernández, Associated Press)
Articles of interest - 8 September 2025
(Howard Friedman, Religion Clause)
Forum in Africa sets faith-centered priorities to eradicate trafficking
(Ngala Killian Chimtom, Crux: Taking the Catholic Pulse)
Uzbekistan: Samarkand Muslim to be tried for Shia Telegram chat group?
(Mushfig Bayram, Forum 18 News Service)
Jirgas: Rogue agents of conflict resolution
(Jo Chitlik, Canopy Forum on the Interactions of Law & Religion)
Courage amidst conflict & vulnerability: Ebrahim Rasool at IF20 South Africa
(Ebrahim Rasool, G20 Interfaith Forum Blog)
Iran’s president calls for Islamic unity to confront genocide against Muslims
(International Quran News Agency (IQNA))
Marriages continue to decline in New Zealand, evangelicals urge commitment to healthy unions
(Chris Eyte, Christian Daily)
Will Ghana pass Anti-Witchcraft Bill to restore dignity of women in the north?
(Ghana Web)
Brazil: An independent country defends religious freedom (Portuguese)
(Ivanir dos Santos, ICL Notícias)
Friday, 5 September 2025
Many religious ‘Nones’ around the world hold spiritual beliefs
(Jonathan Evans, Kirsten Lesage, and Manolo Corichi, Pew Research Center)
Pakistan: Discrimination and abuse in prisons: a report by the Commission for "Justice and Peace"
(Agenzia Fides)
Pakistan: The EU should suspend its trade privileges. Why? Blasphemy in the dock
(Human Rights Without Frontiers International)
Bridging the gap: The importance of finding common ground between religious groups and secular human rights organisations
(FoRB in Full: A blog by CSW)
Adventist church advocates religious freedom in dialogue with Colombian Senate
(Adventist News Network)
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